As the demand for integrated circuits having ever-small device features continues to increase, the need for improved illumination sources used for inspection of these ever-shrinking devices continues to grow. One such illumination source includes a laser-sustained plasma source. Laser-sustained plasma light sources are capable of producing high-power broadband light. Laser-sustained light sources operate by focusing laser radiation into a gas volume in order to excite the gas, such as argon or xenon, into a plasma state, which is capable of emitting light. This effect is typically referred to as “pumping” the plasma. Deep ultra-violet (DUV) inspectors currently utilize continuous wave (CW) plasma sources, while vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) inspectors currently utilize pulsed plasma sources. The utilization of CW and pulsed plasmas create limitations at longer wavelengths due to the utilization fused silica bulbs. Fused silica glass absorbs light have wavelengths shorter than approximately 185-190 nm. This absorption of short-wavelength light causes rapid degradation of the optical transmission capabilities of the fused silica glass bulb in spectral ranges including 190-260 nm and leads to overheating and even explosion of the bulb, thereby limiting the usefulness of powerful laser sustained plasma sources in the range of 190-260 nm. Complications currently also arise with pulsed plasma systems, including difficulties with registration, alignment, and data combination. As such, pulsed plasma systems require careful time synchronization of laser pulses, detector capture, and stage motion. Analog integration of light is also difficult because of the long path lengths required to move the analog signal. Thus, it is desirable to provide a system and method which cures the deficiencies described above in the prior art.